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Stick Time: Clarity in a Large Choir

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I had a band colleague a few years ago who faced a problem. The football coaches were pressuring him constantly to increase the size of the marching band. It didn't seem to matter that he already had the biggest band in the conference, that the rehearsal hall was filled to overflowing and that there were simply no uniforms left, all the athletic folks wanted was big, bigger biggest.  For a choral ensemble, size becomes self-defeating musically.  Past a certain point, an increased number of voices can take a huge toll on the clarity of the sound. ACDA conference honor choirs face this challenge all the time. The gentlemen in this choir are doing very well to create a clear choral sound even though their numbers are large.
 

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  1. Scott,
     
    Indeed the men do a very well singing together precisely and with good blend.  I would think that it would be desirable to have as many men as possible singing these days.  🙂
    The problem with clarity in large groups lies with the conductor using technque that is (barely) suitable only for small groups.  I watched the ACDA conducting competition videos on YouTube and noticed that most of the conductors used gestures that made it difficult for the choirs to sing together.  It was especially obvious when one tried to clap on the beat with the sound of the video turned off.  The use of looping and ornamented gestures destroyed the precision and musical production.
    Large groups will perform with precision and musicality if the conductor uses the appropriate technique.
     
    Wayne Toews

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